Bridgestone invests in new Bt19bn plant
Bridgestone Corp on Monday announced plans to invest 50 billion yen or approximately Bt19 billion in a new plant in Amata City Industrial Estate, Rayong.
The new plant will produce off-the-road radial tires for construction and mining vehicles (ORRs), to enable the group to respond to the increasing global demand for ORRs, it said in a statement released by the Tokyo headquarter.
Also announced today, Bridgestone will start production of steel cord used in ORRs, in its subsidiary for manufacturing steel cord in Thailand.
The production will begin in the first half of 2015. Production capacity at the new plant is expected to reach approximately 85 tonnes per day by the 1st half of 2019, when scheduled capacity increases are completed.
According to Bridgestone, ORRs are used predominantly in mining, quarry, port and industrial, and construction applications all over the world. Until now, the Bridgestone Group has produced these tires in Japan and the United States. The new plant in Thailand will allow Bridgestone to enhance global ORR capacity while responding with increased flexibility to changes in the market.
"Moving forward, the Bridgestone Group will continue to evaluate global demand for ORRs in order to respond to changing market demand trends, and also supply our customers with high quality products on a timely basis," it said.
It also announced that the new plant will incorporate advanced environmental technologies which will contribute to resource conservation. The technologies will include a system for processing wastewater while manufacturing to maximise water reuse, and a cogeneration system.
